How to Get Rid of a Mattress

Everybody
needs a good night’s sleep in order to function effectively during the day. The
best way for anyone to achieve this is to have the most comfortable and
supportive mattress.

To most of us a mattress is a permanent part of a house.
It gives us the comfort we need when we feel tired and when our body needs a
reboot from our daily routines. It is like our best friend who we look forward
to seeing after a very tiring and stressful day. Some of us hold a special
memory on our mattress like it is almost a part of our family. But what if you
noticed that your mattress just does not look and feel right anymore?

You find
some dents and sagging on most parts that makes you feel so uncomfortable and
unsupported. What if all of a sudden you are getting better sleep from other
beds? Before you even think of purchasing a new mattress you have to prepare
yourself for yet another major responsibility and that is how to get rid of it.
So how do you actually get rid of a
mattress?

Memory Keeper

Our
desires of holding on old things can often be blamed on nostalgia and bed
mattresses are not exempted on these memories. They are a huge part of our
lives for years! It could be your first piece of furniture when you moved out
from your parents’ house, a wedding present from one of your close friends or
just your first good investment.

We always have this good old mattress that has
been passed on from generations and still we want to keep on using it until it
voluntarily surrenders on us.

Let go

As much as you wanted to hold on to your
favorite furniture, electronics, and even your favorite pair of jeans there
will come a time when we will have to let them go. That same goes with our ever dependable bed
mattress. Over time, every mattress will lose its ability to provide a good
night’s sleep. This means that it does not provide you the comfort and support
as it used to.

In short, it has grown old and worn out. The majority of
high-end mattress lasts up to 7-10 years and that depends on the level of care
of course. So if you find yourself waking up with back and or neck pain,
numbness, stiffness and aches then it’s time to ditch that mattress and get a
new one! So then you go back to your mind boggling question, how to get rid of
a mattress?

We
have all seen mattresses that are improperly disposed of. Old mattresses do not
belong on some random alleys on the side of the road, in the bottom of a river
or in the middle of some inactive dump site. While elephants have their own
graveyards unfortunately bed mattresses do not.
There is no argument that a mattress is considered to be one of the most
difficult items to get rid of. Just the size and the weight of a mattress is
something that you need to consider before tossing it away.

So
before you start stressing out, I have listed five easy ways on how to get rid
of a mattress.

5
Ways to Get Rid of Your Mattress

1.Recycle
or Repurpose

Honestly,
mattresses are just about the bulkiest item a consumer can recycle. But you can
always make amazing things out of an old mattress. Up to 90 percent of your
mattress can be broken down and recycled. If you have the time, space, tools and a
little creativity there are many fun and creative ways to repurpose an old
mattress.

The only limit is your imagination. You can check online for a few
functional yet inexpensive ways to carry out a Do It Yourself (DIY) project that
you can either do alone or with the help of your handy dandy carpenter. My
personal favorite is turning it to a day bed.

If taking the Do It Yourself (DIY)
approach is not your cup of tea, then you can search the internet for a local
recycling facility near you. Most recycling facilities do not provide a free
service. So it is better for you talk to them and ask for their fee first
before you decide and choose a schedule with them.

2.Sell
or Give it away

One
thing to consider when disposing a mattress is its condition. Selling is also
another way of doing it, although this may take a longer time as there are not
too many people who will eagerly purchase a used mattress but it is worth a
try.

If it is relatively new or in good shape
you may probably have a favorable chance of selling it at a reasonable and reduced
price. You can either sell it locally or online. You can also list your mattress as for sale in
your local newspaper ads or offering it for free on Craigslist, Facebook,
Free cycle or OfferUp. In this way you are sure that your mattress does not just
go to waste.

3.Donate

A
mint condition mattress can be donated. You may want to call a non-profit organization,
thrift store or charity in your area to ask about their policies in accepting
old mattress donations. I personally prefer The Salvation Army since they will
actually come to your home to pick up your old bulky mattress. Best of all they
do it for free! There are also other entities that accept old mattress
donations. These will include Homeless Shelters, Habitat for Humanity and Goodwill
just to name a few.

As long as the mattress does not harbor bed bugs or is not
too used up, passing it along to someone who will ultimately give it a second
life is also a very environmentally conscious friendly option. If for some
reason you do not have the time to check all these organizations, you may want
to check with relatives and friends who may be looking for an extra mattress,
or simply just want to replace their current one. This is also an easy yet very
helpful option.

4.Ask around for Haulers

Check
for junk removal and hauling services online or even on your local directory
listings to help get rid of your old mattress. Junk Removal services may be
costly. The quote they will give you depends on how much space your mattress
takes up in their truck. Most of them can only provide a two-hour window for
your pick up. So if you are a very busy working individual, this might not work
for you. Another good alternative would be checking at your local furniture
stores to see if they take old mattress for whatever purpose.

If
you get lucky enough, sometimes mattress companies have a retailer take-back
service so if you are planning to purchase a new mattress from them, they can
also take your old mattress absolutely free of charge. Asking is the key!

5.Local Health and Sanitation Services

Get
in touch with your local Sanitation Department or garbage collectors. They
usually have provisions in picking up larger items. Just make sure to prepare
the mattress and place it in an accessible area. Call them beforehand so you
know exactly what their schedule is for large garbage pickup and if they indeed
can help you get rid of your mattress.

A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Do
not in any way decide to burn your old mattress! When you burn your mattress,
which some people do, it can be very harmful and unsafe to the environment
close to the fire site. It is also very dangerous to the person doing the
burning as mattresses contain volatile organic compounds.

These compounds
consisting mostly of carcinogens, polyurethane foam, formaldehyde, flame
retardants and so much more. When you burn your old mattress it releases gasses
from those compounds that could be very harmful to anyone inhaling it, which
includes animals, people and even plants. BURNING
IS NOT RECOMMENDED AT ALL!

It
has been estimated that Americans dispose of roughly 15-20 million mattresses
every year! Let’s say an average mattress could take up to 40 cubic feet, a one
year’s worth of discarded mattress will eventually occupy more than 132,000
square miles of landfill space! Not to mention this is just in the US alone. Whew!
That’s a hefty lot of land there!

Proper send off

The
bottom line is disposing of your mattress is not as difficult as you think. It
is just important that you know how to dispose it in a safe and responsible
manner. Proper disposal of your old
mattress does not only help save the environment but also gives you the ease in
purchasing a brand new one!

Just
remember that your mattress once did a very good job on you so it’s time for
you to at least return the favor. Get
rid of a mattress the safest way possible and reward yourself with a new one which
will ultimately provide you a new set of lasting memories and comfort.